Combined steam and compressed-air engine



(No Model.)-

' H. E. DEPP.

GOMBINED STEAM AND GOMPRESSED AIR ENGINE.

No. 256,826. Patented Apr. 25,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

HEZEKIAH E. DEPP, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

COMBINED STEAM AND COMPRESSED-AIR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,826, dated April25, 1882.

Application filed January 24, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEZEKIAH E. DEPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sedalia, in the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementin Combined Steam andGompressed-Air Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-engines driven by means ofsteam and compressed air combined; and to devices for compressing airand conducting it to a steamboiler; and to devices for utilizing theexhaust steam of the air-compressor engine 5 and also to devices forregulating the flow of compressed air to the steam-boilerand to thesteam-engine and also to devices for regulating the flow of compressedair and steam combined toa reservoir interposed between the boiler andsteamengine.

The object of my invention is to economize fuel and steam and to securean increase of power. I attain these objects by the devices illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a view, partly inelevation and partlyin section, of my apparatus for carrying out myinvention, the cylinders of the steamengine and air-compressor being insection and the other parts being in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end viewofthe boiler and compressedair feed-pipe.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the figures.

A represents a steam-boiler suitably walled up B, an air-compressor; O,a reservoir, and D a steam-engine.

A steam-pipe, a, conducts the steam from the boiler A to thesteam-cylinder b of the aircompressor B, which operates the aircompressing-cylinder b, from which the compressed air is conducted tothe boiler A above the water-line mm by means of a pipe, I). This pipeI) may either extend from the point marked with a star or be providedwith an extension-pipe, b (see Fig. 2,) for conducting the compressedair to the boiler on the opposite side; and both the pipe 11 andextensionpipe 11 may be provided with a cook or valve, 11 in order toregulate the flow of air. By introducin g the compressed air into theboiler at (No model.)

opposite sides a very perfect admixture or union of steam and compressedair may be effected and the effective action of the steamengineenhanced.

A cut-off valve, a, is provided on the pipe at near the cylinder b, forthe purpose of starting, stopping, or regulating the flow of steam fromthe boiler for working the compressed-air cylinder 1), and by this meansa greater or less quantity ot'compressed air may be introduced into theboiler A, as may be desired. The exhaust-steam of the cylinder 1) isconducted by main supply-pipe c of the main steam-engine D, which supplyof compressed air will be regulated or cut off by means of a cook orvalve, 6, provided on said pipe 0 between the compressor and the maincook or valve 0 of the engine D.

Operation When steam is raised to aproper pressure in the steam-boiler A(all the cooks being closed at this time) the air-compressor B isstarted by opening the valve a, and there by admitting live steam fromthe boiler, and

shortly after this the steam-engine D is set to work byopeningtheexhaust-cock c of cylinder 1). If the motive power (which nowmainly consists of the exhaust of cylinder 1)) for the steamengine D isnot quite sufficient, the cock 0 is opened and a supply of live steamfrom the boiler A is admitted through the reservoir 0 and pipe 0 intothe steam-engine D. In practice the cock 0 will be connected with andoperated by the governor of the steam-engine D. If it should be foundthat too much steam leaves the exhaust-pipe d ofengine D, an extrasupply of compressed air will be furnished to the pipe 0 by openingthecock e, and thereby checking or diminishing the flow of exhauststeamfrom cylinder 1) to cylinder d. By this construction, as described, Imay have about a steam-pressure of one hundred pounds to the square inchin the boiler A, which would be reduced by the consumption in operatingthe air-compressor to seventy pounds; but at the same time thisconsumption would be compensated for in volume by means of thecompressed air introduced into the boiler-that is, an amount equal toabout sixty-six per cent. in volume would be added; and it is evidentthat this percentage can be vastly increased by careful arrangement andconstruction of the various parts of the apparatus in accordance withthe special service required of the same.

Thus it will beseen thatIeconomize fuel and steam while reducinga higherpower to a lower power by use and consumption in the manner herein setforth.

Having thus described my invention, what I with cocks or valves to b 0 ce, substantially 6 as and for the purpose described.

HEZEKIAH E. DEPP.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. MORTON, DANIEL D. Ann ms.

